Factors Affecting Evacuation Behavior in Cases of Toxic Gas Release: Questionnaire Survey of Korean and Japanese Younger Adults

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to investigate the factors influencing evacuation behavior, means of transportation, effective information tools, and country and gender effects in cases of toxic gas release. In this study, questionnaire surveys were conducted among Korean (n=158) and Japanese (n=108) younger adults. Explanatory factor analyses revealed that the extracted factor structures for the Korean and Japanese samples were similar. Surveys indicated that approximately three-quarters of Koreans (74%) chose "vehicle and motorcycle" as means of transportation, and 36% chose "Social network service and Internet" as effective information tools. Korean younger adults significantly rated knowledge and fear regarding toxic gas and chemical plants and lower anxiety about evacuation higher than Japanese younger adults. Gender effects were also identified regarding knowledge and anxiety.